Village Oaks Elementary book drive in Novi teaches kids even ‘very small things still make a difference’

Students at Village Oaks Elementary School with the 2,017 books they're donating to Mandy's Place, short-term housing building at Children's Village, during an assembly in Novi, Tuesday April 1, 2014. (Vaughn Gurganian-The Oakland Press)

George Miller, Jr., Mandy's Place director, with a check from Village Oaks Elementary School students after they donated 2,017 books to the short-term housing building at Children's Village, during an assembly in Novi, Tuesday April 1, 2014. The center is named after Mandy Miller, his daughter, who died of cancer in 2007. (Vaughn Gurganian-The Oakland Press)

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Novi >> Village Oaks Elementary’s Michelle Hurley recently showed her students a video of a girl who was throwing a single starfish among many into the ocean to try to save it.

“A man walked up to her and said, ‘Why are you doing that? You’re not going to help them all,’” said Hurley, the school’s music teacher. “And the girl said, ‘But I helped this one,’ as she picked another up and threw it into the ocean. You can do very small things and still make a difference.”

Three teachers at the Novi elementary school with a goal of teaching their students that even changing one life matters announced that a book drive which began two weeks ago has raised 2,017 books for kids in need.

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Students on Tuesday presented the donation to Oakland County Health and Human Services Director George Miller, who accepted them on behalf of Mandy’s Place, a temporary foster care housing organization run through Children’s Village.

Kindergartner Ishaan Thurman, who attended the assembly, said, “I feel good about giving books to Mandy’s Place. You can buy books from the book fair and send them to Mandy’s Place. It makes me feel good.”

Miller, who named the temporary housing building after his late daughter, thanked some 490 students who joined in on the assembly and donated to the book drive, saying that the kids that go through Mandy’s Place — which takes in kids who are subject to abuse and neglect — will greatly appreciate the gift.

“I am just in awe at your leadership and the way that you’ve been able to get this many books,” he told them, “and I can’t even begin to tell you how much they’ll be put to use.”

Kindergarten teachers Diana Malczewski and Shannon Myrand helped hatch the idea for the book drive during March — which was reading month — and while teaching their students good leadership habits. Malczewski said Hurley came up with Mandy’s Place as an organization to donate to, as Miller is her father and has been a major contributor to the building for years.

“Just like the little girl with the starfish, it just takes one book,” she said. “We started out asking each student to bring one book to donate, and we came up with a whole library. It’s been a fun project and we’re so proud of our students.”

About the Author

John Turk covers the police beat and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for The Oakland Press. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University. Reach the author at john.turk@oakpress.com
or follow John on Twitter: @jrturk.